US ski star Miller out until January after back surgery

Six-time Olympic ski medallist Bode Miller is to undergo back surgery Monday that will likely keep him off the slopes until January, with the world championships on home snow starting early February.

The 37-year-old American, who became the oldest Olympic alpine ski medallist in history with a super-G bronze in February's Sochi Winter Games, has been training in Austria and the US resort of Copper Mountain over the last month.

But he has elected to undergo outpatient back surgery to "alleviate pain and discomfort", the US ski team said.